'Person of Interest' S05E02: SNAFU Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson Finch & Reese Premiere Recap

CBS airs the Season 5 premiere of Person of Interest. In Episode 2, SNAFU, are Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) John Reese (Caviezel), and Root (Amy Acker) ready to fight the all-out war between Samaritan and The Machine?

Though the Machine is back on, the AI has trouble recognizing faces. Root and Finch are already debating whether the Machine should take down Samaritan or start taking down numbers. Finch wonders if Samaritan is preventing murders since Reese's homicide work is quiet. 

Finch and Reese pull off a heist to steal the servers for the Machine. With the servers in place, The Machine starts to remember. Unfortunately, the Machine recognizes Reese as a threat. Finch and Root try to get the numbers running again. With the phone ringing, Team Machine has to get back to work.   

The Machine has come up with 30 number but here are no leads on Shaw. Fusco (Kevin Chapman) and Reese are out on the streets, searching for their numbers. Finch notices the Machine is blurring people's faces except for Grace (Carrie Preston). 

As Finch downloads a new program, The Machine sees Finch and Root as a threat. The duo find themselves trapped inside the subway car. The Machine starts to remember Finch's lessons  during its early tests. Root smashes the window to get to the ringing phone.  

The Machine has put an ex-con as one of its numbers. Fusco was given a number of a homicide that happened in the past. The Machine is unstuck in time, unable to recognize the difference between past and present. Reese realizes homicide is down but suicide rates have gone up.  

Reese is jealous of Fusco that he is popular among co-workers. Reese's number all of a sudden shows up at the precinct. Scared of being rebooted, The Machine sends a shockwave to Root's ear implant. Finch won't leave Root behind. 

Finch makes a call to Reese, asking for his help. Reese's number turns out to be an assassin on the hunt for him.  As the shootout continues, the Machine shows Root's past crimes and murders. The Machine sees Finch as a monster as well. 

Finch needs to knock out Root while he has a chat with The Machine. As the hit continues in the shopping mall, the Machine shows footage to Finch. He explains that there are people doing the best they can and apologizes. Though his acts are unforgivable, Finch explains his heart is the heaviest.

The Machine is reliving its past 42 deaths. As Fusco saves a family from mafia hit-men, Finch thanks the Machine for saving Grace. Finch asks the Machine for help to save lives. All of the faces from the past four seasons return to Machine. Recognizing Finch as Admin, the Machine apologizes.

After Reese takes down the assassin, Finch asks the Machine if he could see Grace one more time. Root and Finch had on out to Central Park for a stroll. Fusco loves seeing his face in the newspapers. Reese joins the group for a picnic.

One of the numbers has been picked up by Samaritan.   

Readers, what did you think of SNAFU?